Eternal Perspective: Our Family, Friends, and Neig

Eternal Perspective: Our Family, Friends, and Neighbors  

2 Corinthians 5:16-21 

Pastor Miles

November 22, 2014

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭18‬ NIV)

Fix your eyes not on the temporary (what we see), but focus our eyes on the eternal (what is unseen), that is on Jesus.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 

(‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭16-21‬ NIV)

1. Because we have an eternal perspective, we see people differently now.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 

(‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭16-17‬ NIV)

We no longer see people as the world does.

The world sees people as just commodities and expendable. 

From a Christian worldview, every person has value.

Every person has the possibility of a new life (in Christ).

2. We have a different ministry to people now.

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 

(‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭18-19‬ NIV)

God gave us a way to be reconciled back to Him.

He has entrusted the message of reconciliation to us.

It is an honor to be entrusted with this message.

3. We are now Christ's ambassadors to the people around us.

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 

(‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭20-21‬ NIV)

We have the privilege of being called to share the good news with others.

God took our sin and laid it on His own Son, so that He could give us His righteousness - justification - so that we can go back into relationship with Him.

As a result we are now His ambassadors.

Memorize:

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 

(‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭21‬ NIV)